If you did New Years right, you had at least one plate of collards and black eyed peas. If you did New Years like I did, you had more than one plate – I needed good luck and prosperity like never before – and a lot of leftovers. I’m not a huge fan of black-eyed peas – certainly not enough of one to eat them on their own after New Year’s Day. I’m also not a huge fan of Hoppin John, the southern version of beans and rice often made from leftover peas.

So this year I decided to do something a little different for my annual New Year’s dinner. I always like to add a new twist, but mainly I didn’t want to end up with a massive amount of leftover peas that I’d either have to choke down on my own or throw out! I served the traditional black eyed peas cooked slow and low all day for the purists (the guests who feel the need to count out 365 peas to make sure they’ve accounted for good luck on every day of the year), serving half of the peas on their own and used the remaining peas to make a platter of fritters.

With a crunchy outside and a creamy, spicy inside, they were a very popular item on my buffet – almost good enough to outshine the collards and the pineapple casserole. Almost.

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 dashes of cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

3 cups black eyed peas, cooked and drained

1 onion, finely diced

1 egg

1/4 cup low-fat milk

Canola Oil

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne, and white pepper until combined.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the peas and the onions. Add the milk and combine.

Whisk the egg in the small bowl and add it to the pea mixture.

Add the pea mixture to the flour mixture, one heaping cup at a time using a rubber spatula to fully incorporate the beans into the flour.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add approximately 1 tablespoon of oil.

Using a 1/4 measuring cup (or a soup spoon), add the batter to the hot pan. Let each fritter cook for about four minutes on the first side. Using a metal spatula, turn the fritters, cooking an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.

Once the edges are browned, transfer each fritter onto a plate lined with a paper towel.

Serve immediately!

Notes: Make sure the black eyed peas are drained well but do not rinse them. I placed them in a strainer over a large bowl so they thoroughly drain without having to rinse them off. You can use canned black eyed peas if you can find them. They work just as well as fresh peas without all of the soaking and 8 hours of cooking!

If you aren’t serving the fritters immediately, then place them on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

What you’ll need: A large mixing bowl, a medium mixing bowl, a small bowl, a large non-stick skillet, a spatula, a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and a metal spatula.

What you want to know: One fritter is approximately 103 calories, 2.6 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.